Publications committee
Sarah Lunt (Editor and HK)
AnĂŠ van Zyl (Editor)
Esther Nwagboso
Erika BĂźhrmann
Kuhlekonke Kekana
Wianda Gilliland
By Esther Nwagboso A few Minervianers - Tiisetso Maketekete, Khahliso Ledingwane, Demi Geldenhuys, Martine-Summer Aab and Olivia Bernstein, as well as eight men from Helshooghte performed a piece named “Three’s a crowd” at this year’s Kuko toneelfees. They succeeded to make it to the top five. The script was written by Olivia Bernstein and is a story about a woman whose friends convince her to murder her boyfriend who is also her boss. The plot twist is that the murderer cannot remember killing her boyfriend. In the end it is revealed that the lady is, in reality, schizophrenic and that her “friends” are only voices in her
head. Olivia actually wrote the play in grade eleven and said it was very interesting to perform it again with an older cast who had different perspective of the roles. She found it to be an amazing experience and is pleased to have placed in the top five while she is still in her first year of study. Another actress in the play, Khahliso Ledingwane, was nominated for the best supporting actress award. Commenting on the script, she thinks that although it was not necessarily its purpose, it touched on the dangers of not knowing your mental health.
Khahliso says toneelfees is a good experience because as academics become increasingly demanding, toneelfees serves as a chance to do something fun and completely different. She also says that it’s quite exciting to have an all student cast and crew because it’s more interactive and easy-going. Minerva also performed another piece in collaboration with Dagbreek, named “Die Donderweer brom”. It starred Marguerite Kotze, Jana Storm and Chameille Kiewiet. Simoné Schoeman directed this play and the performance was a great success.
“R500 bail? Are you serious?” By Sarah Lunt In the last year, awareness surrounding rape culture has amplified. Reported rapes have been happening a lot closer to home for many women on Stellenbosch campus, with several women being attacked within metres of their residences. A Heemstede resident was allegedly raped in the carpark between Metanoia and Heemstede. She knew the perpetrator’s name, thus the police could quickly identify him and make an arrest. However, the man was released on bail for a mere R500. This left many members of society shocked, that someone who allegedly committed a gruesome sexual assault could be let back into society for such a measly amount.
So what is the purpose of bail and how is it decided? Bail is an amount of money an accused guarantees, and will be returned to the accused when they appear for trial at a later stage. Bail is important as accused persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty, and are given their liberty. The State considers two main questions when deciding bail: What risk does the applicant pose? Is the applicant a flight risk? The State in this case considered these questions and found that the man was not a risk to society. How are we, as women, meant to feel safe when our Magistrate’s Court
is lenient on alleged rapists? This is an example of the role institutions play in rape culture. While rapists are the cause of this crisis, the crisis that women and men face every day is not being taken seriously by authorities. When alleged rapists are treated that their crimes are on par with that of theft, it conditions society to believe that rape is not a serious offence. To stop rape, we must teach boys not to rape. To stop rape culture, we must teach society what it is.
Curious quotes in our cupboards What we found in the Prim-Flat Exodus 20 : 24 In every place where I record my name I will come to you, and I will bless you. In any situation that you don’t know how to handle read Romans 12 : 921 Just be what you are and speak from your guts and hearts – it’s all a person has. A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination – Nelson Mandela Romans 12 : 6-8 Proverbs 3 : 5-6 True leadership is grace under pressure. Hou altyd God se grootheid voor oё, in vergelyking daarmee lyk alle probleme klein. Psalm 46 : 10 “Be still and know that I am God.” Sien jouself deur God se oё. Receive grace as an empowerment not an excuse. The joy of the Lord is my strength. Let life be your testimony; NB! … Enjoy! She believed she could so she did. Go the extra mile, it’s never crowded. Bible scriptures (these are exactly what it is written in the cupboard, we’re not being biased)
When the people say “I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH HIM WHO GIVES ME STRENGTH. (Phil 4 : 13)” They’re going to go the top in all areas in life. Romans 5 : 8 “God loved us … even when we unlovable. ” Proverbs 31 : 25 “She can laugh without fear of the future” Isiah 40 : 31 “Trust in the Lord you will not get weary” Ek is tot alles in staat deur Hom wat my krag gee. Liefde is die grootste, want dit kom van die Here… go for it‼! Whatever the mind can conceive and believe, it can achieve – Napoleon Hill Be strong, for it may be stormy now, but it can’t rain forever. Toss your hair in a bun, drink some coffee, put on some gansta rap and handle it! Make 99% sure that roommate isn’t as messy as mine was, but I love her. Girls just want to have FUNdamental human RIGHTS “Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines sail away from the safe harbour, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover. ” – Mark Twain
The voices in my head may not be real but they have some good ideas… When you get the chance to sit it or dance, I HOPE YOU DANCE! Life’s about the journey, not the destination. Only dead fish go with the flow. Verwag min en jy is selde teleurgesteld . . . P.S Dan is soveel meer dinge lekker ! Hi! This is not a pep-talk: These are the rules of Room 120 Work hard Read poetry Talk to your roommate You’re going to have lots of fun. 1ste Jaar Checklist Kom al jou vakke deur Kry ten minste 1 Her Cum ten minste 1 Vak Loop kaalvoet op kampus Hardloop in die gange Sing in die stort Soen in die laan Koop ’n Gatsby by De Vos Dans op ’n stage ‘Dress up’ vir skakelings Gaan uit met ‘ dress up ’ klere Bank (te minste) een klas Dien op baie kommitiees Probeer stroh – rum Waardeer jou vriende By Esther Nwagboso
#RapeCulture A male perspective
by Erika Bührmann
“End Rape Culture” is the the protests against it? We as a culture in which rape is new slogan on campus – interviewed some men on accepted as the norm and written in chalk on our campus – chosen to reflect not addressed as an issue faculty buildings, taped to the demographic of our at all. This indicates that the bricks of the Rooi Plein campus – to find out. some men view rape and painted on the naked All the men interviewed culture as a blatant acupper bod- “You can’t just go up know about ceptance of rape and ies of the and say, ‘End rape the unrest others view it as a set of women culture.’ – like, who on campus less obvious habits and marching in are you talking to?” and most trends that disregard or disone interviewee have a defi- respect women. solidarity stated. with rape nite idea of The men interviewed do victims and against the vic- what rape culture entails. not only differ in their untimisation that they experi- But when asked to give a derstanding of the definience on campus. definition of rape culture, tion of rape culture, but alWe see these women their answers so differ in the “The many marching to raise condiffered. About degree to which [rape] sciousness, to raise their half the interthey believe incidents on that rape culvoice against sexual viewees focampus just ture is apparent predators and to demand cussed in their made it more in our society. that social trends – from definition on real to me.” Most interviewcatcalling to victim blaming the objectifica– be addressed. But what tion of ees believe that society we see a lot less of, is the women and the trivialisa- trivialises rape and half bemen – how exactly do men tion of rape, while the other lieve that it promotes rape. feel about rape culture and half referred to rape culture
Half believe that women are like, who are you talking to?” unsafe on campus, and the one interviewee stated. other half believe that women Another interviewee, however, are no more vulnerable than does feel that he has become men are. Most of the interview- more aware of the presence of ees reported that they have ex- rape culture. “The many inciperienced rape being trivialised dents on campus… just made it by men joking more real for me.” “no matter he said. about it, and a which side I’m One interviewee is few claimed on, I’m already frustrated that he that men do scrutinised saw a lot of males not realise the because I’m reacting to the nudiseverity of male.” rape. Others ty of some of the claimed that End Rape Culture men are fully aware of the seri- marches, rather than to the ousness of rape and do not message they were trying to trivialise it in any way. bring across. Many interviewAlthough most interviewees ees feel that the nudity is unagree that some form of rape necessary and that the cause is culture does indeed exist in this taken less seriously because of society, their feelings towards it. A lot of men on campus the reaction on campus against therefor do not agree with the rape culture ranged from methods of protesting and it indignation to encouragement. seems like the nudity is causing Some interviewees believe that many to disregard the protests. the protests are necessary and Regardless of how the intereven that a lot more should be viewees felt towards the done to raise awareness about reaction against rape culture on rape culture, but others feel campus, none of them felt inthat the degree of the reaction timidated by it. One interviewee is not in accordance with the explained that “[i]ntimidation severity of the alleged “rape would only occur if I fear that culture” on campus. A lot of in- I’m going to lose something, terviewees feel that the proand I don’t.” The same intertests, and the messages sent viewee, however, also stated about rape culture, are in fact that “no matter which side I’m not achieving anything on, I’m already scrutinised beconstructive. “You can’t just go cause I’m a male.” Making it up and say, ‘End rape culture.’ – clear that although men do not
feel intimidated, they might feel challenged by the reaction on campus. Another claim all interviewees have in common, is that the way they view women has not changed and that the way they act towards women has not been majorly affected by any of the happenings on campus. Overall, men seem to agree that rape culture is present on campus to (some degree) and many feel that some men do behave in a way that promotes rape culture. But all the men interviewed for this article believe that they themselves have always treated women with respect and that the call for an end to rape culture is not aimed at them. This leads to the questions: Whose views have changed? Whose behaviour has changed? Who is the End Rape Culture Movement aimed at, and do they know it?
Huisdans 2016
Huisdans 2016 excitement, expectations and concerns. By Wianda Gilliland It’s time to get excited, because this year’s Huisdans is going to be quite memorable. With Margot Basson as HK in charge, it is not going to be just another Huisdans. Huisdans 2016, much like the entire year of 2016 so far, is going to be a bit different with a few big changes to ensure a very unique evening. “It is going to be held at a venue out of town, so it is going to be new and fresh, and also a bit more intimate,” Margot stated enthusiastically. This change in venue however triggered some concerns. Is a fancy venue going to bump up the already pricey Huisdans tick-
et? According to Margot, yes, it is going to be a bit more expensive, but the ticket includes transport to and from the venue. Margot and her committee want to ensure that everyone gets there and back safely and on time. The exact price cannot be confirmed yet, because Margot and her team are actively still collecting sponsors to keep the price as low as possible. Another concern was that tickets are going to be more limited, and this means that many first years will not be able to attend. Due to the smaller venue, this concern is most likely to become a reali-
ty. Margot believes that the evening is going to be very special, since it is going to be such an honour to be a part of this new and improved Huisdans. Margot and the Huisdans committee have already started working their décor and gift ideas. She gets most of her inspiration from “PINTEREST, PINTEREST, PINTEREST!” and she envisions an elegant, simple, yet magical atmosphere. She is confident that Minerva Huisdans 2016 is going to be a massive success! So start picking out dresses, go and find a hot date, and get EXCITED!
Bilingualism Tweetaligheid By AnĂŠ van Zyl
A bilingual person is someone who can speak and fully understand two languages. A person who speaks more than two languages is called 'multilingual' (although the term 'bilingualism' can be used for both situations). Twee-ta-lig [=lige] In staat om twee tale te praat, twee tale magtig, waar twee tale erken, gepraat en gebruik word. ~heid.[Verklarende Afrikaanse Woordeboek] Language is localised in the left hemisphere of the human brain. It consists of an abstract system of symbols and rulesand not simply for hearing speech. Language can be realised in different modalities, spoken or signed, but it will be localised on the left side (regardless of modality). What this means, in simple terms, is that language for hearing people and language for deaf people are localised in the same place in the brain. The left hemisphere is not superior for processing all sounds, it is only better for those sounds
that are linguistic. The way language is localised in the brain enables someone with low cognitive abilities (low IQ), to effectively learn language, even though they do not have high intelligence. According to the critical-age-hypothesis language is biologically based, and the ability to learn a native language develops within a fixed period (from birth to early childhood). During this critical period, language acquisition proceeds easily, swiftly and without external intervention.
After this critical period, the acquisition of grammar is difficult and, for most individuals, never fully achieved. Second language acquisition generally refers to the acquisition of a second language by someone (adult or child) who has already acquired a first language. Bilingual language acquisition refers to the (more or less) simultaneous acquisition of two languages beginning in infancy (or before the age of three years). Approximately half of the people in the world are native speakers of more than one language. Research o bilingual children has shown that bilingual children construct multiple grammars from the outset of their development. It also seems that bilingual children develop their grammars along the same lines as monolingual children (children who are only exposed to one language). There are, in essence, two languages acquired at once. This results in children acquiring two “first” languages at the same time. There are then “two monolingual children in the same brain”.
Does being bilingual make you more (or less) intelligent, or more (or less) creative? ]Results of the most recent studies have shown that bilingual children outperform monolinguals in some kinds of problem solving tasks. They also seem to have better metalinguistic awareness (conscious awareness about language rather than of language). Moreover, bilingual children have an earlier understanding about the arbitrary relationship between objects and their names. They also have metalinguistic awareness that allows them to speak the contextually appropriate language. Adults do not simply pick up a second language. It usually requires conscious attention, study and memorisation to become proficient in a second language. Adult second language learners usually have an accent, and they make syntactic or morphological errors that are unlike the errors of children acquiring their first language.. They often also make
word order errors, especially early in their development. Success in learning may depend on a range of factors, including age, talent, motivation and attitude. It may also depend on if you live in a country or area where the language is spoken, or if you are sitting in a classroom, five mornings a week where the language is spoken, with no further contact with native speakers. Age is a significant factor when a second language is acquired. The younger a person is, the better, but it is certainly possible to acquire a second language as an adult. Many teenage and adult second language learners become proficient, and even pass as native speakers. Resent research on the neurological effects of acquiring a second language shows that left hemisphere cortical density is increased in bilinguals relative to monolinguals. The study also shows a positive relationship between brain density and second-language-proficiency. The researchers conclude that the structure of the brain is altered by the experience of acquiring a second language.
Vir dié wat, soos ek, afwesig was die dag toe ons Biologie op skool behandel het; Taal is gelokaliseer in die linkerhemisfeer van die menslike brein. Dit bestaan uit 'n abstrakte stelsel van simbole en reëls-en nie net vir die aanhoor van spraak nie. Taal kan verwesenlik word in verskillende modaliteite, gesproke of geskrewe, maar dit sal, ongeag van modaliteit, aan die linkerkant gelokaliseer wees. Wat dit beteken, in eenvoudige terme, is dat taal vir horende mense
en taal vir dowe mense op dieselfde plek in die breingelokaliseer is. Die linkerhemisfeer is nie beter geskik vir die verwerking van alle klanke nie, dit is net beter vir daardie klanke wat taalkundig is. Die manier waarop taal in die brein gelokaliseer is, sal iemand met lae kognitiewe vermoëns (lae IK) in staat stel om taal te leer, selfs al het hulle nie 'n hoë intelligensievlak nie. Volgens die kritieke-
ouderdom-hipotese word aanvaar dat taal biologies gebaseer is, en die vermoë om 'n inheemse taal te leer binne 'n vasgestelde tydperk ontwikkel (vanaf geboorte tot die vroeë kinderjare). Gedurende hierdie kritieke tydperk geskied taalverwerwing maklik, vinnig en sonder eksterne ingryping.
Fromkin, V. & Rodman, R, & Hyams, N. 2009. Language acquisition: An introduction to language. 9:234-369.
Living in
South-Africa By Kuhlekonke Kekana What is the most amazing thing about being a South-African? It’s difficult to say, but there’s no better place to start than the beginning. As our former president Thabo Mbeki eloquently put it in his famous I Am an African speech:
“I owe my being to the hills and the valleys, the mountains and the glades, the rivers, the deserts, the trees, the flowers, the seas and the ever-changing seasons that define the face of our native land. The Constitution whose adoption we celebrate constitutes an unequivocal statement that we refuse to accept that our African-ness shall be defined by our race, our colour, our gender or our historical origins.” We all know that South-Africa is an eclectic mix of rich cultures. This mix began a few thousand years ago when the Khoi and San were the indigenous people of Southern Africa, who mutually inhabited these parts before the Bantu migrations displaced them to become the predominant dwellers of
Southern-Africa. The Bantu people originally lived in West-Africa. Some Bantu people migrated to the East coast of Southern-Africa where the land was better suited for agriculture whereas other groups migrated to the grassy west-coast (which was better suited for herding livestock). What is the significance of this migration? The PanAfrican connection it created through dispersal. As you probably (hopefully) know, South Africa has 11 official languages, namely English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Swati, Ndebele, Southern Sotho, Northern Sotho, Setswana, Tsonga and Venda. 9 of the 11 are Bantu languages. Speakers of these languages would have picked up on the fact that “bantu” means “people” and the word itself, (and its slight variations) occur in all Bantu languages, including 9 of our 11 official languages. In isiZulu, isiXhosa and isiNdebele it’s abantu; in Northern Sotho, Southern Sotho
and Setswana it’s batho; bantfu in Swati; vanhu in Xitsonga and vhathu in Xivenda. In Swahili its watu, a Bantu language is spoken by more than 140 million people in Africa, making it a lingua franca connecting millions of people. English and Afrikaans are languages that arrived with the British and Dutch and although they are of European origin, are today spoken by plenty SouthAfricans and contribute towards the eclectic nature of the country. Our diversity has connected us to places beyond our borders and has, thus, been dubbed, as the “rainbow nation”- it’s corny, but we see where they were going with this. Our cultural and linguistic diversity has resulted in the inevitable words and phrases borrowed from our country’s many languages that signify just how distinctive South Africa is, and often times leave foreigners scratching their heads.
“Our diversity has connected us to places beyond our borders”
Common South-African expressions include: Ag: [agh] generally used at the beginning of a sentence, to express resignation or irritation. Eish: An expression of surprise, wonder or frustration. Chill bru: An expression used to tell someone that they should relax, usually a friend. Yebo: A word used for agreement or approval; yes. Heita: Hello Lekker: indicating that something is nice, good, tasty or cool Make a plan: to devise a way to overcome a certain difficulty. Mzansi: South-Africa. Now-now: Used to mean shortly or in a bit. Tsotsi: A gangster, hoodlum or thug.
Some Minervianers chimed in on what the most amazing thing about being South African is and here’s what they had to say: Jessica Bostock, 20: “I really enjoy how unique we are. My mom has recently immigrated into England. They’re so traditional and boring, and it has me thinking how great it is to be in a young country where we’re busy making history. My dad and I always have shisanyama straight off the braai on Sundays when I’m home. I don’t think we’d do that in another country.” Shu-aat Davids, 20: “It’s living in such a diverse country. You get the opportunity to meet various kinds of people from different cultural back-
These expressions certainly make things that much more interesting in South-Africa, not to mention the 11 official (although there’s an abundance of unofficial) ways you can greet someone: English: Hello, how are you? Afrikaans: Hello hoe gaan dit? Zulu: Sawubona, unjani? Xhosa: Molo, kunjani? Ndebele: Lotjhani, unjani? Swati: Sawubona, unjani? Northern Sotho: Thobela/Dumela, o kae? Southern Sotho: Dumela, o kae? Setswana: Dumela, o kae? Venda: Ndaa, vho vuwa hani? Tsonga: Avuxeni, ku njhani? grounds. You are able to see things differently by being exposed to different people and you can expand your perspective on life.” It seems that diversity is a key element in making our country unique, although it was treated with utter derision almost 3 decades ago. The people make the place; our divergence should be marvelled at rather than completely disregarded. It may have taken a long time (and a lot of bloodshed and tears) to realise the beauty of “Ubuntu” but we’ve finally made it into the proverbial democratic light -where injustice, albeit still present, is not tolerated. Besides, what other country has robots instead of traffic lights?
Senior Dance
Just for fun